Process and device for conveying and forming groups of discoid products, in particular biscuits

ABSTRACT

The products (12) are delivered in a plurality of columns (11) to a conveyor wheel (15) which has pivotably articulated carriers (26, 27). An axially stationary carrier (26) and an axially displaceable carrier (27) are alternately coordinated with every two input columns (11) in the direction of conveyance (A). Said two columns (11) are delivered at different heights according to the carrier distance. During conveyance into the output station (16), the displaceable carriers (27) are moved into the trajectory plane of the others with the result that common groups (18) of products (12) lying to be flat on each other are formed from two input columns (11). The device substantially avoids relative motion between products (12) and guides with the result that the products (12) are handled carefully.

The preambles to claims 1 and 2 of CH-PS 641 416 describe a method andapparatus for transporting and grouping biscuits. The biscuits aredelivered in a plurality of columns and transferred to carriers of aconveyor wheel. The carriers can pivot on the wheel. They push thebiscuits through guides in an output station, in which groups offlat-sided biscuits resting against each other are formed on furtherguides, the biscuits being transported further by means of a slide thatis moved periodically. The sliding of the biscuits in the guides causesabrasion. A similar apparatus is described in CH-PS 664 126.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and anapparatus of this type, in which the relative movements between theproducts and guides is minimized, so the products are handled carefully.This object is accomplished by the combination of features in theclaims.

Embodiments of the invention are described below in conjunction with thedrawings. Shown are in:

FIGS. 1 and 2 a schematic side view and a plan view, respectively, ofthe apparatus,

FIGS. 3 and 4 a representation of a variation that is slightly moredetailed in comparison to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively,

FIG. 5 a representation of a further variation corresponding to FIG. 3,and

FIG. 6 one half of an axial section through the conveyor wheel.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, four columns 11 of discoidproducts 12 are delivered at regular intervals by, for example, slides13. In an input station 14, they are transferred to a transport wheel15. In the input station 14, the four adjacent tracks of the conveyor 10are disposed at different heights. As the products 12 are transported inthe wheel 15 to the output station 16, they are pushed together, forminga single output column 17. In the output station 16, groups 18 offlat-sided, adjacent products 12 are formed, which are supplied withslides 19 and counterholders 20 to a packaging machine 21. The groups 18are packaged in the machine 21. The finished packages 22 are transportedaway on a conveyor 23.

In the variation according to FIGS. 3 and 4, two output columns 17 areformed from four input columns 11. Carriers 26, 27, which are uniformlydistributed over the circumference at the periphery of the wheel 15, aresecured to pivot about pivoting shafts 28, 29. The carriers 26, 27 haveradial slots 30 that are open toward the outside (FIG. 6). In the outputstation 16, a guide sheet 31, which supports the lower edge of theproducts 12, extends into these slots 30. The carriers 26, 27 areoriented radially in the input station 14, and are pivoted back towardthe output station 16, so they are oriented approximately perpendicularto the sheet 31 there, which slopes upward at a flat angle of about 15°.As the wheel 15 rotates further, the carriers are withdrawn betweenadjacent products 12 of the forming groups 18, and are subsequentlyradially oriented again. The two outermost carrier columns are offsetwith respect to the two center columns by the spacing of the carriers26, 27. The two center supply tracks 32 of the supply conveyor 10 arealso offset by this amount with respect to the two outer tracks 33. Theoutermost carriers 27 on the wheel 15 are laterally displaceable. Duringthe transport movement from the station 14 to the station 16, they aredisplaced into the plane of circulation of the other carriers 26, sogroups 18 of products 12 are formed from two adjacent input columns 11in the output station 16.

From the output station 16, the groups 18 are first pushed out by aslide 36, which is disposed virtually perpendicular to the sheet 31; theface end 37 of this slide circulates in a circulation track 38 suchthat, after a predetermined number of products 12 in the forming group18, it dips into the slot 30 of the relevant carrier 26, 27 and,simultaneously, is advanced synchronously with the circulating speed ofthe carriers 26, 27 in the direction of the sheet 31 in the station 16.The course of the movement and the means for moving the slide 36 can beembodied, for example, in accordance with CH-PS 641 416. As analternative, the slide 36 could be secured to two synchronously-drivenchains that are offset from one another and circulate on a respectivetrack corresponding to the track 38. From the slide 36, the group 18 istransferred to a further conveyor 39 having a circulating chain 40, towhich the slides 19 and counterholders 20 are secured.

In the variation according to FIG. 5, all of the supply tracks 32, 33are at the same level. To accomplish this, in the input station 14, therespectively outer carrier 27 is pivoted up such that its face ends arealigned with the face ends of the immediately-preceding two centercarriers 26.

FIG. 6 shows one half of an axial section through the wheel 15. Theother half of the wheel 15 is mirror-symmetrical with respect to thecenter plane 44. The drive shaft 46 of the wheel 15 is seated to berotatable and axially non-displaceable in a frame 45. The drive shaft isdriven by a motor 47. A tubular support 48 having radial flanges 49, 50is connected to the shaft 46 so as to be fixed against relative rotationand axial displacement. The pivoting shafts 28 for the center carriers26 are secured in the flanges 49, 50 to be rotatable and axiallynon-displaceable. The two center carriers 26 are screwed to the shafts28. A lever arm 51, whose free end supports a roller 53 seated to rotateparallel to the axis 52 of the shaft 46, is rigidly secured to one endof the shaft 28. The roller 53 runs in a groove-like guide curve 54,which controls the pivoting movement of the carriers 26, 27. The othershaft 29, to which an outer carrier 27 is secured, is seated to berotatable and axially non-displaceable in the flange 49. At the otherend, it changes over to a wedge sleeve 57, into which a multi-splinedshaft 58 that is rotatably seated in the flange 50 extends in a mannerfixed against relative rotation. Secured to the other end of this shaftis a further lever arm 51 with a roller 53, which runs in the guidecurve 54. A guide shoe 59 is secured to the shaft 29 to pivot, but notto be axially displaced. The shoe 59 has a concave surface, which restsagainst the outer circumference of a cylinder 60 secured to the housing.A roller 61 that extends into a groove-like guide curve 62 in the outersurface of the cylinder 60 is rotatably seated at the shoe 59. The curve62 controls the axial movement of the carriers 27.

All of the carriers 26, 27 have stops 65 whose stop edge 66 is orientedradially outward, and whose stop surface 67 is oriented toward the otherstop 65 of the same carrier 26, 27. During operation, with rectangularproducts, one face end of the products 12 impacts the edges 66 and, withround products, a face end impacts surfaces 67. Thus, the products 12are guided reliably during the lateral displacement withoutnecessitating additional guide elements. This facilitates the formatconversion.

The apparatus permits careful handling of the products. The relativemovements between products and guide elements are reduced. The apparatushas a high output. Format conversions are possible in a simple manner.The apparatus has a small space requirement, and functions reliably. Theline reduction with good overview capability is possible in a simplemanner.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of transporting groups of discoidproducts which are supplied flat in a plurality of input columns to aconveying means having pivotable carriers and, while standing on end,are conveyed by the conveying means to an output station, in whichgroups of flat-sided products resting against each other are formed,with the groups being further transported by means of a collectingslide, characterized in that consecutive carriers of the conveying meansare loaded with products, from at least two adjacently-supplied inputcolumns, and that one of the consecutive carriers is displaced laterallyduring the advancing movement of the conveying means in order to formcommon groups from the at least two input columns in the output station.2. An apparatus for executing the method according to claim 1,encompassing a supply conveyor for supplying a plurality of inputcolumns of discoid products, a conveying means having pivotable carriersfor transporting the products from an input station, in which theproducts can be pushed from the supply conveyor onto the carriers, intoan output station, in which groups of flat-sided, adjacent products areformed, as well as a collecting slide for further transporting thegroups, characterized in that at least two columns of carriers aredisposed, offset from one another in the conveying direction, on theconveying means, and, during the transport from the input station to theoutput station, the carriers of at least the one carrier column can bedisplaced transversely to the transport direction by displacement meansfor forming common groups from the at least two output columns in theoutput station.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein theconveying means encompasses a rotatable wheel, at whose periphery thecarriers are hinged, and with the at least two input columns beingoffset from one another in the conveying direction of the conveyingmeans at the input station.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 2,wherein each carrier has at least one stop, against which the peripheryof the products rests.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, whereineach carrier has two spaced stops, which preferably have a stop edge forone edge of a rectangular product, and a stop surface, which faces theother stop, for round products.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 2,wherein each carrier has a slot, through which collecting means extendin the output station.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 2, whereincarriers that are laterally non-displaceable and laterally displaceablefollow alternatingly in the conveying direction.
 8. The apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein the collecting slide has virtually thesame transport direction as the input columns.
 9. The apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein the conveying direction of the collectingslide slopes upward at the output station (16) and is subsequentlyhorizontal.